Hurricane Season Preparation

June 1st through November 30th is hurricane season on the Grand Strand. If a hurricane should strike our area, GSWSA will do everything possible to provide water and wastewater services and to rapidly restore any disrupted services. If a hurricane appears to be headed for the Grand Strand, we advise you to follow these instructions:

Prepare clean, airtight containers to store sufficient drinking water for several days. An amount of one gallon per person per day should be set aside. We recommend a minimum of a five day supply.

Set aside water for sanitary purposes. (An average family of four will need approximately 25 gallons of water.) Any kind of container will do for this purpose. You may wish to use a bathtub for instance. Wastewater disposal may also be a problem during a serious storm, so flush your commodes only when necessary until the storm passes and normal water and wastewater services are restored.

If you experience low water pressure or no water, check with your neighbors to determine if your entire area is being affected before calling our office.

Once you have determined that you need to call GSWSA's office, please be patient. Switchboards may be jammed with other callers.

Limit water usage during a power outage if your sewer service connection requires the use of an individual pumping unit (e.g. Environmental One Unit). A typical residential pumping unit for a single residence holds approximately seventy (70) gallons. This is important to remember considering water service may not be disrupted, but the pumping unit will not pump without power. This could increase the chance of sewer backing-up within your home or unsafe environmental conditions on your property.

Following the storm, it may be several days before normal service is restored. If line breaks occur, some water may become contaminated. Disinfection of water by residents may be required. If in doubt, disinfect.

Disinfection instructions are as follows:

a. If water does not appear to be clear, strain through a clean cloth into a container to remove any sediment or floating matter. If water is clear, omit this step.

b. Disinfection by heat:

1. Boil the water vigorously for at least one full minute.

2. After allowing the water to cool, it is ready to use.

c. Chemical Disinfection – Use common liquid household chlorine laundry bleach. Add two drops chlorine per quart of water. Mix thoroughly by stirring and shaking water in container. Let stand for 30 minutes. A slight chlorine odor should be detectable in the water. The water is now safe for use.

Listen to your local television and radio stations for information concerning the condition of your area’s drinking water.

For further information, please contact our Customer Service Department at (843) 443-8202.